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TORONTO, April 2, 2007 – The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is pleased to announce eight successful journalists who are the recipients of this year’s Award for Excellence in Health-Care Reporting. This year’s winners include those from large and small media outlets including the Ottawa Citizen, CBC Radio and Scarborough Mirror. The awards will be presented during the President’s Banquet at RNAO’s annual general meeting, Friday, April 20 at the Hilton Suites Toronto/Markham Conference Centre & Spa in Markham.

The winners of the 2007 Award for Excellence in Health-Care Reporting are:

The Ottawa Citizen for its comprehensive series Hope in the Shadow of AIDS that examined HIV/AIDS through the eyes of those suffering from the disease and those who are battling to ease the pandemic’s strain. The Citizen won for Daily Newspaper, Best Series.

Johanna Weidner of The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo), whose article about the abuse nurses face on the job won in the Daily Newspaper, Best News Story category.

Ottawa Citizen reporter Andrew Duffy, for “The Human Touch,” an intimate look inside a long-term care centre that told the story of one nurse who cares for Alzheimer’s patients, in the Daily Newspaper, Best In-Depth Feature category.

Mike Adler, Norm Nelson and Lisa Queen of the Scarborough Mirror. Their series “A New Land of Scarcity” examined the health-care challenges new immigrants face and won for Community Newspaper, Best Series.

Tori Sutton, Stratford City Gazette, whose look at organ donation won for Community Newspaper, Best In-Depth Feature

Maria Tzavaras, of Metroland Newspapers, who also wrote about organ donation. She received the Online Publication, Best In-Depth Feature award for her story “The Importance of Organ Donation.”

Cathy Alex, CBC Radio, whose story “The birth of grief, the delivery of hope,” explored the support parents need when they learn their unborn baby or brand-new infant has died. Alex won for Radio, Best In-Depth Feature.

Allison Vuchnich of Global News Toronto, for “Health-Care Heroes,” which won in the Television, Best In-Depth Feature category. Vuchnich told the story of the nurses at the Hospital for Sick Children who have touched the lives of so many children and families.

“The winning stories reveal the important role nurses have in our health-care system, and their ability to lend strong, credible voices to media stories,” says Doris Grinspun, executive director of RNAO. “RNs all across this province have the knowledge and first-hand experience that help journalists tell stories that touch so many lives.”

RNAO is the professional association representing registered nurses wherever they practise in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has lobbied for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses’ contribution to shaping the health-care system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve.